Commission on the Reform of Ontario's Public Services

TABLE 20.2 Selected Examples of Transfers Set to Expire in 2013–14
Chapter 20: Intergovernmental Relations
Transfer 2011–12 Payment
to Ontario
Function
Wait Times Reduction Fund $97 million Supports provinces for initiatives to reduce wait times.
Labour Market Agreement $0.2 billion Supports provincial training measures for unemployed
workers not eligible for Employment Insurance benefits.
Labour Market Agreement for Persons $0.1 billion Provides funding for employment programs for persons
with Disabilities
with disabilities.
Building Canada Plan $0.2 billion Provides support for investments in infrastructure.
Source: Ontario Ministry of Finance.
In the mid-1990s, provinces and territories endured major cuts to federal transfers that put
pressure on their fiscal plans and public services. At a time when Ontario is moving to sustain
and improve both, the province needs a reliable and predictable federal partner.
“Federal involvement in areas of provincial jurisdiction can undermine the ability of provinces to plan and deliver the services and
programs for which they are responsible. When the federal government moves in and out of social policy and programs, it is disruptive
to provincial plans and leaves provinces on the hook financially for picking up programs it abandons.”
M. Mendelsohn, J. Hjartarson and J. Pearce, “Saving Dollars and Making Sense,” 2010, Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation.
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